A taste test of supermarket vine tomatoes has revealed that Morrisons' The Best Viola Cocktail tomatoes are the top choice, scoring highest for sweetness and flavour. The test, conducted using a Brix refractometer to measure sugar content, found that the best tomatoes had a Brix score of 7, indicating a high sucrose content, while the worst scored as low as 4. The tester also evaluated overall flavour, value for money, provenance, and growing methods.
Key findings and tips
Tomatoes should never be kept in the fridge, as this adversely affects their texture and taste. Even ripe-looking tomatoes benefit from being left on the countertop for a few days to ripen further and improve flavour. The test noted that organic certification did not necessarily guarantee superior flavour.
Best overall and best bargain
The best overall tomato was Morrisons' The Best Viola Cocktail tomatoes, priced at £2.15 for 300g (72p/100g). These medium-sized, deep maroon tomatoes are grown by Isle of Wight Tomatoes and have a Brix score of 7, low acidity, and incredible umami flavour. The best bargain was Ocado's organic tomatoes on the vine, at £2.25 for 400g (56p/100g). These large, scarlet-red Ronvine tomatoes are grown in Essex with Soil Association certification, offering a firm, fleshy texture and subtle sweetness with a Brix score of 4.
Other tomatoes tested
M&S Organic Rosa vine tomatoes (£2.50 for 375g at Ocado, 67p/100g) scored four stars, with a Brix score of 5, low acidity, and rich umami flavour. Tesco sweet vine-ripened tomatoes (£1.15 for 255g, 45p/100g) and Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Majestic vine tomatoes (£2.05 for 300g, 68p/100g) both scored three stars, with Brix scores of 5 and 6 respectively.
Lower-rated tomatoes included Asda Exceptional vine-ripened tomatoes (£2.06 for about 445g, 46p/100g) and Co-op Irresistible Pick of the Crop vine-ripened tomatoes (£2.65 for 420g, 63p/100g), both scoring two stars with mild flavours. Waitrose No 1 red choice vine tomatoes (£2.70 for 300g, 90p/100g) also scored two stars, described as watery and mild. The lowest scores went to Wholegood organic round tomatoes on the vine (£3.25 for 450g at Ocado, 72p/100g) and Natoora Sicilian vine-ripened tomatoes (£3 for 350g at Ocado, 86p/100g), both scoring one star for being flavourless or disappointing.
